Counterbalance for flywheels



Oct. 24, 1933. M. T. ARCHER ET- AL 1,931,747

COUNTERBALANCE FOR FLYWHEELS Original Filed Ffeb. 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEY Oct. 24, 1933. I Q M, T. ARCHER ET AL 1,931,747

COUNTERBALANCE FOR FIHYWHEELS Original Filed Feb. 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Oct. 24, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COUNTERBALANCE FOR FLYWHEELS poration of Ohio Application February 1, 1927, Serial No. 165,096 Renewed December 5, 1929 4 Claims.

Our invention relates to counterbalances for flywheels, crank-shafts, and the like.

The counterbalance which we illustrate and describe has more or less of its mass adjustable to vary the eccentricity of the mass or to eliminate it, as the conditions demand. It is the object of this invention to provide one or more weights which may be adjusted angularly about a center of motion, to distribute their mass so as to provide the counterbalancing effect desired or to eliminate such effect. Such an invention is useful in connection with bandwheels for operating pumps actuated by walking beams. The counterbalancing weight or weights can be rearranged from time to time to compensate for the varying strains transmitted to the crank arm or wrist pin driven by the band wheel shaft. In cases where the mass carried by the band wheel should be concentrically arranged about the axis of the band wheel, as during the operation of a sand reel, the weight or weights can be arranged accordingly. We do not limit this invention to the uses specified.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Fig. l is a side elevation of one form of the invention, in which there are two weights, one adjustable and the other integral with the wheel; Fig. 2, a central vertical section of Fig. 1, parts being shown in elevation; Fig. 3, a side elevation of a second form of the invention, in which there are two weights, one adjustable and the other nonadjustably bolted to the wheel; Fig. 4, a vertical central section of Fig. 3 with a spplemental weight, parts being in elevation; Fig. 5, a side view of a third form of the invention in which there are two adjustable weights; Fig. 6, a side view of a fourth form of the invention inwhich there are three weights, of which two are adjustable; and Fig. '7 is an edge elevation of one of our wheels with a part broken away and in vertical section to show how an additional or supplemental weight may be attached to one or more of the weights of any form of the invention. Fig. 8 is a section on the line 8-8 on Fig. '7.

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2, 1 designates a shaft to which the flywheel 2 is keyed and on which the power-sprocket-wheel 3 rotates loosely, the sprocket wheel having the clutch member 4 adapted to interlock with the corresponding clutch member 5 on the wheel 2. The wheel has the rim 6. It also has the web 7 connecting the rim 6 and the central laterally-projecting means or hub 8. This web runs clockwise from the 55- radial line 9 to the radial line 10 an angular distance of 270 or three-fourths of the distance around the hub. The web is continued around the hub for the remaining 90 but extends only a short distance radially from the hub, this web portion being marked 11. The portion of the (30 wheel bounded by the rim 6, the lines 9 and 10, and the outer boundary of the web portion 11 constitutes an approximately triangular or sectorshaped weight 12 which is cast integral with rim and web. The weight isshown as having about equal portions on opposite sides of a plane including the center of the web and normal to the shaft 1.

The web 7 has the arcuate slot 13 extending anticlockwise from the vicinity of the line 10. Two approximately triangular weights 14 and 15 lie on opposite sides of the web '7 and have eyes 16 and 17 slipped on opposite ends of the hub 8, the portions of the eyes next to the weight 12 being in arcuate slots 18 and 19 bounded inwardly by the hub, outwardly by the weight and laterally by the web portion 11. The weights 14 and 15 have adjacent portions extending into the slot 13. Bolts 20 extend through both weights, the threaded ends of the bolts carrying washers 21 which lie on the outer face of the weight 15, and nuts 22 which screw down on the washers. The bolts are surrounded by collars or sleeves 23 seated in holes in the weight 15 and having their inner ends against the inner face of the weight 14 and their outer ends engaged by the inner faces of the washers. The sleeves are of such a length to space the weights slightly apart so as not to clamp the weights to the web, but to allow the weights to slide along the slot 13 easily toward and away from the line 10, which is one edge of the weight 12.

The web '7 is provided with a series of holes 24 to receive bolts 25 passed through them and alined holes in the weights, one bolt being shown in one pair of said alined holes marked 26 in Fig. 2.

With the weights 14 and 15 arranged exactly opposite the weight 12, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the eccentric effect of the weight 12 is counterbalanced by that of the weights l4 and 15. The desired degree of eccentricity may be secured by adjusting the weights 14 and 15 to the proper angular distance from the weight 12, it being necessary merely to remove the bolts 25, arrange the weights 14 and'15 in the proper position, and then replace the bolts to hold the weights 14 and 15 in its adjusted position. It is preferred to eliminate a portion of the web '7 at the opposite side of the shaft from the slot 13, as shown by the slot 27, to compensate for the mass of the web subtracted-by the slot 13.

Where the parts in Figs. 3 to '7 are identical withparts on Figs. 1 and 2, the same reference numerals are used in all the figures. Where parts in Figs. 3 to '7 are analogous to parts in Figs. 1 and 2, but differ therefrom in details, the same reference numerals are used in Figs. 3 to 7 as in Figs. 1 and 2,- accompanied by letters of the alphabet.

Referring now to Figs. 3 and 4, the lower weights 14a and 1511 will be first described. The weight 14a has the eye 16a which is slipped on the outer end of the hub 8a and is about onehalf the thickness of the weights 14b and 15b though it may have any practicable thickness. The weight 15a is not'hung on the hub 8a, but is otherwise the same as the weight 15 except that it is somewhat thinner. The upper weights 14b and 15b are the same .as the weights 14a and 15a, except the eye 16b on the weight 14b is slid on the shaft before the eye 16a and lies next to the web 711. The eye l6bis half the thickness of the weight 141). The weights 14a and 15a are adjustable along the slot 13a as the weights l4 and 15 are along the slot 13, but the weights 14b and 15?) are not adjustable, being bolted fixedly to the wheel. The weight 14a can be shifted angularly to apply the desired amount of counterbalance at the required angular location about the shaft. The web-slot 27a is provided to ofiset theopposite web-slot 13a. The weight 30 and the manner of securing it to the weight 14a are clearly shown in Figs. 7 and 8 which are fully described hereinafter.

Referring now to Fig. 5, the parts are as in Figs. 3 and 4 except that the upper weights are adjustable angularly along the web-slot 13d. The slots 13c and 13d are shorter than the slot 1301, because both sets of weights are adjustable toward each otherwhereas the weights 14a and15a only are adjustable and therefore have to travel further to contact with the companion weight. The web-slot 27b compensates for the opposite web-slots 13c and 13d.

Referring now to Fig. 6, the weight 12a is fixed as in Figs. 1 and 2, but occupies only one-sixth of the angular distance around the shaft 1. 140 and 14d are weights adjustable along the web-slots 13c and 13) respectively. When the adjustable weights are at their maximum distance from the fixed weight, the radial centers of the three weights are 120 apart. The slots 13c and 13f are of such length and location that the adjustable weights may be moved into contact with the fixed .weight or at any position between the fixed weight and their extreme positions away from the latter weight. The weights each occupy one-sixth of a circle and may be all arranged at one side of the axial center of the shaft 1 to get maximum eccentricity. 1

Referring to Fig. 7, the wheel shown is that of Figs, 3 and 4, the sections being taken radially through the lower part of Fig. 3. On each of the figures, the weights at the outer side of the wheel have an angular boss, lug or projection 28 which may receive the socket 29 on the inner face of a supplementary weight 30. The weights bearing the numerals 12 and whether with neath the walls at the sides of the portions 32.

Referring to Fig. '7, the supplementary weight 30 is positioned on the weight 140. with the boss 28 in the recess 29 and the bolts 34 extending through holes in the weight 30. Nuts 35 are screwed down on the bolts 34 and against the weight 30 to secure the latter to the weight 14a. Supplementary weights may be placed on the other weights as the conditions may require to give the amount of counterbalance desired, or to produce perfect balance. The boss 28 and recess 29 should fit each other in order to relieve the bolts 32 of shearing strains from the weight 30 and the weight to which it is attached.

Fig. 6 not being shown in connection with the sprocket wheel 3 and the clutch elements 4 and 5, may be considered as showing a crank keyed to the shaft 1, the space between the weights 14c and 1411 being provided with a radial row of holes 36 by a selected one of which a pitman may be attached by means of a bolt in a manner well known. The holes for attachment of a pitman could be as well applied when the crank has the number and distribution of weights shown on the other figures of the drawings or when a difierent number of weights or a different distribution thereof is employed.

We claim 1. The combination of a wheel with an arcuate clot, a weight at each side of the wheel, means passed through the slot and both weights for connecting the weights together, and means for securing the weights at different angular adjustments about the axial center of the wheel.

2. The combination of a wheel having a web with an arcuate slot, a weight at each side of the web, means passed through the slot and both weights for connecting the weights together, means for securing the weights at different angular adjustments about the axial center of the wheel, and means spacing the opposing faces of the weights from the web.

3. The combination of a wheel, a counterbalancing weight carried thereby, a supplemental weight bolted to the first weight, and a boss carried by one weight and fitting a recess in the other to relieve the bolts of shearing strains and the recess having a wall facing the direction of rotation of the wheel and engaged by the weight.

4. The combination of a wheel, a counterbalancing weight carried thereby, a supplemental weight bolted to thefirst weight, and a boss carried by one weight and fitting a recess in the other to relieve the bolts of shearing strains, the first weight having undercut slots to receive .and retain the heads of the bolts and the recess having a wall facing the direction'of rotation of the wheel and engaged by the weight.

MERTON T. ARCHER.

ROWLAND F. HILL. 

